Avatar the Last Airbender: Final Destination

Chapter 2: The Dream

Aang woke up before the rest of the group the next morning. He yawned and thought about his dreams from the night before. Katara came to him, speaking in an ancient tongues that he didn't recognize. She was panicking and pulling on his robes to get him through the doors of the temple but he couldn't bring himself to go with her. He kept trying to understand what she was saying but the harder he tried the harder it was to hear her. Before he could see what she was upset about he woke up from his nightmare. Walking outside of the temple, he sat with his legs crossed in front of the fountain facing over the edge of the cliff. "Maybe Roku can help me," he said to Momo. Momo clicked his head at an angle and just watched Aang close his eyes.

"Come on, Roku..."

Aang's tattoos started to glow as Roku appeared in front of him. Roku greeted him with a friendly smile as usual. At the troubled look on his face, Roku frowned and began their conversation.

"What troubles you, Aang?" Roku spoke.

"I'm not sure what's wrong, Roku, it's Katara."

"Your friend? I do not see why that would lead you to contact me."

"It's just...I've saved the world from the Fire Nation but it's still not the time for me to be in a relationship with the person I love the most. I don't understand. When will it be easier?"

Roku regarded him carefully. Young love as the Avatar was no stranger to him. It was hard and he understood that. "Listen to me, Aang," he began. "Being the Avatar will never be easy. The world has to come first and foremost. However, that doesn't mean you will never be able to be happy. You just have to wait. When the opportunity arises, you will know."

Aang seemed disappointed by this but he half expected it.

"That's not all that's bothering you, Aang."

Aang looked up at his past life. He was right. He was still worried about his dream. "It's my friend Katara again. In this dream I had, I couldn't understand her...she was worried and trying to leave the temple but I didn't know why. She was speaking in a language I couldn't understand."

"Could her tongue have come from the language of the Water Tribe?" Roku asked.

"I don't think so, Roku, it was like an ancient language that I had never heard."

The elder Avatar looked worried with what Aang said. "I'm sorry, Aang, but I'm not sure I can give an answer as to what language your friend spoke to you in. It was quite possibly just a dream and you've heard the language before passing through villages."

Aang looked away and nodded his head, "Maybe you're right. Thank you for your wisdom, Roku."

"Anytime, Aang." And with that, Roku vanished, leaving Aang looking over the cliff.

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Katara woke up as the sunshine glared across her face. She smiled at Momo, who was watching her from the edge of her bed.

"Good morning, Momo," she greeted him.

She stood up and walked to the bath chamber connecting to her room. She washed her face and decided to let her hair hang down her back as it had before she and Zuko took down Azula. She grimaced at the thought of the very person who had attempted to take her life in an attempt at power. Luckily, Zuko had taken the lightning to his own body, saving Katara from harm. The thought of Zuko saving her warmed her heart. She knew it was the hero complex but she couldn't help that it made her smile. She walked out of her room and down the temple's halls. When she was almost to the outside door, it opened and Aang walked in. He had bags under his eyes and looked like a wreck.

"Hey Aang," Katara greeted. She was more happy to see him that morning than she had been the previous night. She had slept wonderfully the night before.

"Good morning, Katara," Aang replied. "Are you ready to leave for Gaipan?"

Katara's smile diminished. She wasn't ready to travel again. Not yet. She missed Aang and although they were always working together it was like she never truly spent time with him.

"Yeah, I'm ready to go," she said.

The two of them met up with the rest of the gang an hour later. Sokka was mulling over his map while Suki struggled to lift her bag onto Appa. Katara noticed she had become more exhausted at the smallest tasks lately. Sokka turned to see Suki struggling and rushed to her aid. Interesting, Katara thought.

"Hey, Katara, can I talk to you?" Aang asked.

"Sure, Aang, what's up?"

The two of the walked over to where the fountain streamed.

"Katara, I just wanted to apologize. I haven't been there for you lately like I thought I would be. Helping all of these villages has tested me as the Avatar and honestly I haven't had time for anything else. I haven't had the time to give us the chance," Aang said.

Katara thought about her words carefully. "I know, Aang. I understand what you mean. We've waited for so long. I think we can handle a little longer. I'm sure it'll be easier when we settle down. I still don't think we should do this with so much going on."

"Yeah, you're right," Aang said, but he had hoped for something different. He was ready to be with Katara. She wanted him too and he knew it, she was just afraid.

"Let's get back to the others," Katara said.

The two of them headed back towards the rest of the group and loaded their stuff onto Appa. Aang sat on Appa's head as everyone climbed onto the bison. Suki and Sokka sat together with Toph and Katara across from them. Haru sat towards the back of the saddle facing everyone. Seeing Katara sit next to Haru caused a flare of jealousy in Aang. He stifled his feelings and prepared for takeoff.

"Yip Yip"

And with that they were on their way to Gaipan.